Limestone Hawksbeard Crepis intermedia Aster family (Asteraceae)
The Hawksbeards belong to that class of Sunflower that have only and herbage with milky juice. When compared to its sister species, C. acuminata, it is not as tall and branching and has fewer flower heads, although both plants have flowers with the same narrow, cylindrical shape. C. occidentalis, another sister species, is much shorter, and has fewer, broader flower heads that are often sticky . "Intermedia" means "intermediate," and describes how this plant likely originated as a complex hybrid, with C. acuminata and C. occidentalis in the hybridization.
Up to 2 feet tall, with upright stems, branching at the top. Leaves are slightly to moderately hairy, the lower ones up to 12" long, , the upper leaves are reduced in size. The 10-60 flower heads are narrow, almost 1" high and 1/2" wide, and cylindrical or slightly bell shaped, usually with short, stiff black hairs that are not . The flowers are yellow, with less than an 1" across, each flower head containing 7-16 , and no flowers.
